


Parhelion

by DuaDelacroix



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Child Death, Heavy Angst, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slash, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-07-08 08:04:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19866247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuaDelacroix/pseuds/DuaDelacroix
Summary: SLASH. Harry is betrayed by finally being told the truth behind how he became the Boy Who Lived, while Draco is burdened with an impossible initiation task for the Dark Lord. As the Second War breaks out bloodily, Harry and Draco both yearn for solace and to have an anchor in the storm and discover it in the most unthinkable place: in one another. Post-OOTP AU. HarryDraco. Darkfic.





	1. The Assassin's High Treason

**Author's Note:**

> Parhelion is an AU, with the divergence point beginning in Chapter 32 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; while the events of the climax of Order of the Phoenix remain the same, the way in which they unfold is where the AU begins and any deviations from the climax of the book – especially the Battle of the Department of Mysteries – is deliberately AU and not mistaken. As a whole, Parhelion will be an alternate telling of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I wanted to capture the spirit of JKR’s original promise that HBP and DH would be like “two halves of the same book”. 
> 
> (In my humble opinion, HBP and DHs were nothing close to “two halves of the same story” and DHs was not the conclusion of a seven-book series, but instead an installment that felt very much like it was another self-contained installment in the arc – instead of the series finale it was alleged to be.)
> 
> While I have a plot sketched out, I do not have an outline and will mostly be writing this story as a character-driven redux of the last two books. Thus, be prepared for this to be a slow, winding tale of how Harry and Draco – who had an incredibly interwoven story in HBP and DH that I felt could easily been made into a believable slash – went from their canon characters in the book to two people who could love each other. Their romance will be told against the backdrop of the Second War depicted realistically and with an ensemble cast of characters that can cover the complexities of what a war based upon blood prejudiced in a magical society could reasonably look like. 
> 
> There will be character deaths, disturbing elements such as torture and non-con, as well as suicidal themes, and an overall angst-ridden vibe, to accompany the romance and the action-adventure/thriller genres – so BE WARNED and take care with the contents of this tale.   
> As of now, Parhelion is meant to be a standalone tale with no sequels, thus there is a lot of ground to cover for the story I’d like to try and tell, during my inaugural journey into Draco/Harry slash.
> 
> Without further ado, I give you the first chapter of Parhelion!

CHAPTER I: The Assassin’s High Treason 

“Draco – wake up, now.”

Draco blinked blearily, as someone gripped his shoulder fiercely and shook him awake.

The high windows near the ceiling of the dormitory were still darkened, so it couldn’t be morning. Nonetheless, here was Nereus pulling him from sleep roughly. Draco instantly noticed the pinched, strained expression upon his older cousin’s face and as he sat up in bed, sharply.

“Cousin, what’s wrong?”

Nereus motioned to him urgently. “Not here. Put your robes on and come with me. Hurry.” 

There was a certain weight in his cousin’s voice that brought Draco fully awake and with it, a cold lick of fear. With a swiftness he didn’t realize he had, Draco fumbled around in the shadows of the dormitory for the robes he’d shed before getting into bed last night, distantly noting that Nereus was already in his robes, with his Head Boy badge prominently upon on his chest. As they quietly exited the dormitory, the rumbling snores from Gregory and a harsh cough from Blaise’s bed making it clear that Nereus hadn’t awoken anyone but him, Draco couldn’t help the curl of fear that twisted him stomach.

If his dormmates were still asleep, being awakened by his cousin meant that this was a family matter – and, suddenly, a million fearful thoughts exploded in his mind.

“Something happened, didn’t it?” Draco said quietly, as they walked up the curving passageway that lead up to the Common Room from the boys’ dormitories. There were embers in the hearth and a very, very faint light coming through the quartz-crystal windows that kept their Common Room protected from the magically powerful waters of the Black Lake. “Something is wrong, something’s happened to someone in the family.”

Nereus glanced over his broad shoulder at his younger cousin, his sea-blue eyes troubled and hesitant. “Yes. Yes, something’s happened. Nobody’s is dead, thank Mordred – but, that’s about all that can be said.”

“Where are we going? Home?” Draco asked quietly, as they exited out of the Common Room and began walking briskly through the dungeons. 

“No. Professor Snape’s office. We’ll be able to speak freely among fellows there.” Nereus seemed to increase his pace, glancing around nervously. “I’m going to let the adults explain, but I can warn you – this is about our family’s social club, as much as it is about our family.”

Draco swallowed thickly, as he understood his cousin’s subtle words. 

The House of Malfoy was deeply involved in the Dark Order, sometimes so deeply it seemed that the Dark Lord was the true Lord of the House of Malfoy. His parents had pledged their loyalty and commitment to the Dark Lord’s movement upon his return and had been diligently working on behalf of their Lord to carry out what was needed to make up for the fourteen years that had been lost because of Potter and his Mudblood mother. As Lucius had immediately gone back into service, so had his brothers-in-law, Corban Yaxley and Matthias Mulciber, and the effort was already underway to prepare and submit Draco and his cousins – their sons – to the service of the Dark Lord. 

Valerian had petitioned under the sponsorship of his father, Corban, and had been one of the first of the new generation to be Marked, last Samhain. He had been eagerly offering the skills he possessed as a Master Curse-Breaker since his initiation and had proven valuable to the Dark Lord already, so early in his service. 

Nereus was being prepared to petition his initiation and would likely be Marked by the end of the summer, if Matthias had anything to say about it. Nereus would be the third generation of Mulcibers to serve the Dark Lord and Matthias was eager to claim the distinguish honor of not only being the son of one of the Original Knights, but also to be able keep the legacy going with Nereus, a grandson of one of the Original Knights of the Dark Order. 

As the youngest, Draco was next to follow in the footsteps of his father, his uncles, and his older cousins. He had turned sixteen in the beginning of the month and would be expected to spend his sixth year and seventh year as Nereus had – preparing to serve the Dark Lord and considering what task he would offer up their Lord for initiation, once he was safely graduated from Hogwarts and away from the watchful eyes of Dumbledore. 

Briefly, as Nereus turned the last corner and they approached Professor Snape’s private quarters, Draco wondered if this was what this daybreak, clandestine meeting was about.   
Professor Snape was as highly ranked in the Inner Circle of the Dark Order, as Lucius was; he was one of the Dark Lord’s most trusted – and, if they were ready to begin preparing him to take his place in the Dark Order, it was very likely that Professor Snape would be involved with his initiation. 

Professor Snape was not in his quarters, however, as he and Nereus entered the warded door that brought them into the professor’s private quarters.

Draco instantly knew his guess couldn’t have been further from the truth, as he took in the sight of several of their family members gathered in the professor’s private apartments. Tension and distress thickened the air in the room, as the adults of his family talked amongst themselves, clearly waiting on Nereus to arrive with him. 

“I thought you said nobody was dead! What is everyone doing here?”

Draco must have been louder and more distressed than he realized, for his words brought an abrupt silence and suddenly, several pairs of eyes were upon him  
.  
“Draco!” 

Draco’s fear that someone had died in the night and that his family were gathered here to break the news was intensified, as Narcissa sprang to her feet and quite nearly threw herself into his arms. Since his fourth year, Draco had been gaining height upon his mother – but never was it clear how much he’d grown than now. Narcissa was able to tuck her head underneath his chin, her wealth of braided dark-gold hair smelling sweetly, as he returned her devastated embrace and rested his cheek upon the top of her head.

“Mother, what’s happened?” Draco asked, squeezing her tightly as she wept. Nervously, his eyes took note of every else in the room – his grandmother, his eldest aunt, his eldest cousin, Valerian. “What’s everyone doing here?”

“Grandson, please come and have a seat.” Ourania Carrow Malfoy was a proud and stunningly gorgeous woman, possessing a regal bearing that was an echo of an older generation of pureblood nobility – but, in this moment, she looked quite broken. Her normally glowing complexion was ashen and drawn, as she waved a bejeweled hand towards the simple couch that Professor Snape had in front of a roaring fire. “This morning, Lucius was involved in an incident at the Ministry and we must explain what befell him, what it means for the family, and what is to happen next.” 

Draco stiffened.

“He is alive, Draco,” Octavia rushed to assure him. Aunt Octavia was his favorite aunt, full of tales of her international travels a High Ambassador of the International Confederation of Wizards and gifts from the far reaches of the world; they were incredibly close, and it was not surprising that she could sense his distress without clearly seeing his face. “However, it would be appropriate to say that he is not well, nephew. Not hardly. Please, do as Gran says and have a seat. Severus had been gracious enough to grant us the use of his private quarters for a short time, so there is much we must cover before we’re made to depart from here.”

Draco absently led his mother back to her seat on the couch, where he settled down beside her and wrapped a comforting arm around her. Narcissa allowed herself to be overwhelmed by her tears and perhaps it was because he’d so rarely witnessed his bold and intimidating mother cry that he felt a true fear sweep over him. 

“Here, finish the rest of this.” Valerian had been holding a snifter and offered it to Draco, openly. Draco looked at the very small measure of firewhiskey in the glass and raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Go on now. There isn’t much of it, but well… you’re about to need it, little one.”

Draco chose to ignore the familiar dig at their six-year age difference and accepted the glass with a slightly unsure hand. Nobody – not his grandmother or his aunt or his mother – said anything in protest as he swallowed the remainder of his cousin’s drink and that nobody protested was indication that something truly dire and awful had happened to Lucius and he needed to be prepared to hear whatever happened to his father. 

The warmth of the firewhiskey couldn’t chase away the chill of fear he felt, as he looked around the room at his family. 

“Mother, Gran, Auntie – what’s happened? What’s going with Father? Please, tell me.”

Narcissa continued to weep, while Ourania and Octavia shared an aching glance. 

Ourania sniffed, emotionally. Tears swam in her eyes, but unlike Narcissa, she held them back with dignity, though there was no hiding the pain. “There is no easy way to say this, Grandson, thus I’ll make it plain: this morning, Lucius was arrested by the Aurors and charged the assassination of Minister Fudge. Currently, your father is in custody of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and is awaiting his trial. The likely sentence for his alleged crime of high treason will be – will be –”

Octavia closed her eyes in pain and finished where her mother could no longer go on.

“The likely sentence for the alleged crime of high treason, which the murder of the Minister for Magic is considered, will be the Dementor’s Kiss.”  
\--  
(Author’s Note: And, with the conclusion of this first chapter, canon takes a hard, irreversible turn into its own AU!  
The next few chapters will be laying the groundwork for the divergence of his AU and introducing the central characters to this story. Harry shows up soon, as well as their first interaction, so stick with me while the pace picks up and I promise it will be worth the wait. Although this story was posted on Sunday, the update schedule for Parhelion will be Mondays and Thursdays; after tomorrow’s posting, another update won’t be due until Thursday, and updates will follow this schedule from here on.   
Next chapter, things begin getting intense – so, buckle up. Please give me a review and let me know what you think!)


	2. He Is Risen

_“The likely sentence for the alleged crime of high treason, which the murder of the Minister for Magic is considered, will be the Dementor’s Kiss.”_

Draco allowed the snifter to fall from his hands numbly and shatter into irreparable pieces. His mercurial gray eyes paled to a troubled shade of hoarfrost, as he struggled to find the words.

“I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all.” Draco said, numbly. “What you’re saying isn’t – it can’t be – Father? Father has been arrested for treason…for assassinating the Minister…”

Draco looked around the room with a touch of desperation. 

Nobody was denying Ourania’s words nor offering any deeper explanation that could explain how Octavia had been mistaken. If anything, everyone looked as stricken as he felt, though this was clearly only news to Draco, as the newest arrival to the gathering.

Anxiously, Draco leapt to his feet, his hands opening and closing with uneasiness as he looked between Narcissa, Octavia, and Ourania. His mother, aunt, and grandmother looked at him in return, with distressed and pained gazes in shades of blue and gray.

“What happened? Explain!”

Aunt Octavia came to stand beside him, running a comforting hand through his sleep-tousled hair; her gentle, perfumed hands weren’t as delicate or sure as his mother’s, but he still leaned into her touch and tried to focus on her absent efforts to neaten his snow-gold hair.

“Everything we’ve told you is what we know, so far. We’re still waiting on the latest update from your Uncle Corban, but as far as we know, your father was present at the Ministry on a mission from the Dark Lord. The details of the mission are of course the private knowledge of the Dark Lord and his humble servants. What is known is that the assassination of Minster Fudge will be a great upheaval, as it was done in the name of the Dark Lord – a fact that will be soon known all over Britain.” Octavia inhaled sharply, before adding: “Minister Fudge’s assassination will be the event that declares the resurrection of the Dark Lord, Draco. According to my brief and memos from the ICW, the British Ministry will be holding a press conference in a few hours, around half-past eight to confirm the assassination of the Minister, as well as give their official statement on the return of our Lord.”

Draco could appreciate the shot of firewhiskey Valerian had offered him, at the moment. The bone-deep warmth of the spells woven into each bottle was doing wonders to chase away chill that swept over him as he began to understand the meaning of his aunt’s words.

The Dark Lord had been returned from beyond the Veil since last summer, Draco knew. Potter had first broken the news after the end of the Third Task, stumbling from the maze with Diggory’s body and screaming about the culprit being the newly resurrected Dark Lord; then, Dumbledore had confirmed as much, during the Leaving Feast. Draco hadn’t dared send a letter home to ask for the truth from his parents nor, unsure if something so sensitive and serious as the Dark Lord being returned from the dead should be communicated through owl post. 

But the anxious question had burned at him, the entire journey back to London on the Hogwarts Express. 

Draco didn’t have to wait long after arriving back in Wiltshire to get clarity. With an unusually reflective expression, Lucius had taken him on an Abraxan ride through the southern trails on their family estate, and without much fanfare or emotion, Draco was told directly that the Dark Lord had risen again and was prepared to pick up where he’d left off with his purposeful movement to eradicate impurity in Britain.

Draco hadn’t been sure how to feel about the news, as Lucius had sworn him to secrecy. Instantly, he’d promised to keep his father’s confidence, but he hadn’t been able to ignore the abrupt weight that had settled in his chest at knowing such a powerful and lethal secret. 

The Dark Lord had been a hero of his childhood, a fallen leader who the adults spoke of with a grief and regret of a vision unfulfilled. Bedtime stories were told of how Lucius and his brother of the fraternity had fought alongside the greatness that was the Dark Lord, while candles were lit in memory of the fallen such as Cousin Evan and the imprisoned like his Aunt Bella and Uncle Rodolphus. Draco had grown up hearing about the Great War and how the Dark Lord had very nearly been close to victory, how with his dedication and commitment for over a decade, the Dark Lord had nearly won their war against their enemies – and, then Potter and his Mudblood mother had come along, ending the rising star of the Dark Lord’s movement and destroying everything that the nobles held dear.

For Draco, the Dark Lord had never been anything more than an experience of his elders. A martyr from recent history, who was to be paid the respect and given the honor he deserved for all he’d tried to do for the advancement and protection of purebloods all over Britain. Draco didn’t have any opinions or feelings of his own about a Dark Lord he’d never served or seen before in living memory – but, as they’d circled back to the stables, Lucius had made it quite clear how Draco should feel. 

The resurrection of the Dark Lord was a joy he should hold in private, until their Lord made his rebirth public knowledge. 

He should only bear witness to the Dark Lord’s resurrection amongst the fraternity and the allies of the fraternity. 

But, most importantly, Draco should begin preparing himself for service to the Dark Lord himself, for as the Heir Malfoy and a legacy to the Dark Order – his loyalty and his service already belonged to the Dark Lord. 

Draco hadn’t known how he had felt a year ago about the Dark Lord’s return, as he’d rode Abraxans with his father. 

As he stood before his aunt in the present moment, however, taking in the fevered gleam in his Aunt Octavia’s storm-gray eyes, Draco was quite certain how he felt about it now. Nereus seemed rather pleased to hear the wizarding public would soon know what the Dark Order had known since last summer, as did Valerian, who was already a branded brother of the Dark Order.

Valerian looked upon their aunt with eager eyes that shone with a hard enthusiasm as he declared: “The Ministry can create all the sanctions they like, Auntie. They’re already behind the times and horribly outpaced, compared to our Lord and his Dark Order. I can assure you; we’ve been hard at work during this year they’ve spent discrediting the Potter boy.”

“True indeed, son. If we play our Gobstones correctly, we may be able to earn another year or two or three of discrediting and demoralizing Potter and his believers, after what happened at the Ministry overnight…”

Nearly as one, everyone turned towards the voice that had joined the conversation abruptly, and their gaze fell upon the trio of wizards who’d just entered Professor Snape’s quarters. 

Corban Yaxley was shrugging off his Department Minister robes, irritably, his blunt features twisted in anger and exhaustion. Beside him, Geoffrey Goyle was drawn and pallid, clutching a scroll in one hand and twirling an eagle-feather quill in the agitated fingers of the other hand; as the Steward of the House of Malfoy, Geoffrey likely had a nightmare of epic standards on his hands, if the charges levied against Lucius were true. The only wizard who appeared troubled, but no worse for wear, was Amycus Carrow; with a smart series of taps from his wand, Amycus warded the entry with a layer of wards specifically keyed into the House of Malfoy, ensuring the utmost privacy within a compromised setting such as Hogwarts. 

“Uncle!” Nereus cried, his eyes wide and desperate. He rushed up to Corban and allowed their uncle to pull him into a rough embrace. “Uncle Cor, what news is there of Father?”

Draco blinked. “Uncle Matthias? What’s happened with Uncle Matthias?”

“Matthias was at the Ministry with Lucius, along with a few others,” Amycus informed Draco quietly, as Corban murmured comforting words to Nereus that only the pair of them were able to hear. “Matthias was arrested on similar charges as Lucius, but not nearly as severe. As of now, along with your father, Matthias is in Auror custody at the Ministry with only legal communication between himself and his Juriswizard allowed.” 

Draco breathed out harshly at the news, sinking down beside his mother on the couch once more. “I can’t believe this. How can this – I don’t understand – how could they be -?”

Corban broke the comforting hug between himself and Nereus, upon hearing the pitch of hysteria in Draco’s voice. With an arm still around Nereus, Corban came over to Draco and pulled him into an embrace, as well. Unabashed, Corban kissed both Draco and Nereus atop their blond heads and gave their shoulders a hearty, reassuring squeeze. Draco smiled, fleetingly, appreciating that of all his uncles, it was Corban who was most affectionate and had the strongest love of children – especially his nieces and nephews, who were only second to his own two children. His assurance was necessary in a moment like this, where nothing made sense, and everything felt uncertain. 

“Family, I know everyone has questions and there is much to be explained.” Corban looked around at his mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and son, his dark eyes solemn but softer in the presence of his family. “For a very brief time, perhaps an hour or so, Severus has granted us the use of the guest apartments adjacent to these quarters – as of now, Dumbledore and his cronies are still down in London at the Ministry, thus our presence can remain hidden and uninterrupted while we figure our next steps, in this time of family crises.”

“You have news of Lucius, Cor?” Narcissa said, her voice raw with pain and fear. “Please, tell me they haven’t moved forward with the trial or a sentencing or – oh, Salazar, please don’t let an execution have happened already - !”

Draco moved towards his mother, wanting to comfort her or stop the tears which were freely falling from her pale-cerulean eyes. However, Corban moved quicker, and assumed Draco’s seat beside Narcissa, pulling her into the same embrace he’d offered Nereus and Draco, holding her tightly and allowing her to begin weeping anew.

“Lucius is alive and still in custody, as of now, Cissy – I give you my word. Alecto saw to it that he is being held in solitary confinement in the maximum-security cell in the Auror Brig – and, she even ensured that the two Aurors posted on watch are sympathetic to the Dark Order.” Corban’s words were to reassure Narcissa, but his glance around the room made it clear the information was for everyone’s benefit. “For now, Lucius is as safe as can be, and that’s what we need – for, there is much that has happened from this one action and we need to organize our strategy for how to move forward, before anything else.”

“If we have a little over an hour, then I believe a light breakfast would be appropriate,” Octavia declared. “Let’s settle ourselves in the dining room and have our discussion over tea and nourishment.”

Her suggestion was welcomed and agreed upon by the room as a whole. With the grace and affection of a beloved older brother, Corban helped Narcissa to her feet and tucked her trembling hand in the crook of his elbow, soothingly. The quiet, murmured words must have been the same comfort he’d offered Nereus moments ago, for as Corban took the lead towards the guest apartments, Narcissa began to temper her weeping and appeared to be calmer. 

“Come now, Auntie,” Amycus intoned, quietly, offering his arm to Ourania. “You’ve had a terrible shock and I believe you could use something to fortify your strength. What do you say to tea and a light breakfast?”

Ourania allowed herself to be fussed over and soothed by her favorite nephew, as she and Amycus followed behind Narcissa and Corban. Valerian gave their aunt something that resembled a smile and gallantly offered his arm to Octavia, escorting her as his uncle and elder cousin had his aunt and grandmother. 

“Your family awaits, Heir Draco, Heir Nereus,” Geoffrey insisted, with a respectful nod. “Let us join the rest and you’ll find out what happened with the Lord Malfoy and the Heir Mulciber, as well as what happens next.”

Draco and Nereus shared an uneasy looking, but nonetheless, obeyed the Steward of the House of Malfoy as was proper and brought up the rear of the procession of their family into more private quarters. 

When they’d went to bed last night, there was no hint of the nightmare that they were apparently in the midst of, and Draco couldn’t help the anxious, gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach that somehow –

Everything had changed with the murder of the Minister for Magic, committed in the name of the resurrected Dark Lord, and their fathers had facilitated what possibly might be the outbreak of war in Wizarding Britain, once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author’s Note: As of this update, this story will be updated on Mondays and Thursdays of each week, barring an off-day in the schedule if it is the week I’m posting a new story.
> 
> The plot thickens as we meet more of our main cast. I really liked the canon of the pureblood families being interrelated and keeping a close circle, because it makes so much more sense why Voldemort was able to pick the cream of Wizarding society, without having come from that place himself – people were telling their brothers and cousins and in-laws and grandparents, and thus, Voldemort’s numbers grew in a controlled upswing. I plan on exploring how the apparent xenophobia of purebloods end up being their downfall and how inclusion is the key for forward progress of any society…
> 
> In another two chapters, once we see from the Dark Order’s side how the Battle at the Department of Mysteries went in this timeline, we will get to Harry – and the completely different world he’s in, after the end of Order of the Phoenix. Reviews are appreciated!)


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